Did You Know That BOTOX® Can Help Get Relief for Chronic Migraine?
If you have ever experienced chronic migraine, then you will agree with me that migraines cannot only be painful and debilitating, but they can also significantly affect one’s quality of life. In the bid to get relief from this serious headache, you might try just about anything.
Apart from being the number one choice for smoothing forehead frown lines, do you know that BOTOX® has also brought relief to countless people in Preston, Lancashire suffering from chronic medical conditions, including migraines?
Yes, in 2010, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the use of BOTOX® for treating chronic migraine with a significant level of success being reported among patients. If you have tried other treatment options and seem not to be working for you, it may just be the time you give BOTOX® a try.
So, here are a few things you should know about this treatment option before you consider it for migraine.
What is BOTOX®?
Botox is an injectable form of botulinum toxin produced by Clostridium botulinum – the bacteria that causes botulism. When this toxin is purified and used in specific areas of the body, and in tiny doses, it temporarily reduces contractions in such areas for up to three months.
What Type of Headache is Best Treated with BOTOX®?
According to the FDA, BOTOX® was approved for chronic migraines. These are the type of headaches you experience for more than 15 days a month. BOTOX® is not recommended for patients who have headaches fewer than 15 days a month. The more frequently a patient has headaches, the better he or she does with BOTOX®.
How Does BOTOX® Work?
When you decide to get BOTOX® treatment for your migraine, our Dr will typically give you the injection once every three months. He/She may recommend a length of time for your treatment plan, depending on your response to BOTOX®. One treatment session of BOTOX® may last up to 15 minutes.
During this session, your doctor will inject several doses of BOTOX® to areas surrounding pain fibres that are involved in headaches.
The medicine finds its way into nerve endings around the site of injection and blocks the release of chemicals that are usually involved in pain transmission. This way, it helps prevent the activation of pain networks in the brain.
What Are the Potential Benefits of BOTOX®?
BOTOX® treatment is effective for bringing relief to symptoms of migraine, including nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to smell, sound and lights.
In most cases, it may take up to 10 to 14 days before you can experience relief while some people don’t get relief from their symptoms after their first set of injections which may thus require them to take another session.
Who Can Use BOTOX® For Migraine Treatment?
Botox was approved by the FDA to treat chronic migraine in adults above the age of 18. If it is used for children or adolescents, it is considered an “off-label” treatment. This means even though doctors can prescribe it, it might not be covered by insurance companies.
What Are the Side Effects of This Treatment?
The most common side effects experienced by people who use BOTOX® for chronic migraine are neck pain and headache. In some rare cases, patients can also have an allergic reaction to BOTOX® which comes with signs like swelling in the lower legs, hives, or shortness of breath.
Even though there has not been any confirmed case where BOTOX® spreads to other parts of the body, it is possible for that to happen, and could be very deadly when it does.
Bottom Line
BOTOX® is one of the several treatment options available to you if you are a patient of chronic migraine in Preston, Lancashire. Until all other options have proven to be unsuccessful, we may not recommend BOTOX®.
If you have tried other preventive treatments and haven’t gotten relief for your chronic migraine symptoms, it might just be the best time for you to talk to us about BOTOX®. The process is not only low-risk, but it is also quick and easy.
To find out if we can help you, why not speak to our friendly team on 01772 561748 or request a call back by completing our Contact Form now.
